Directions: Look at the map above, read the text below, and answer the following questions on your wiki page:
In the 1990's, satellite pictures revealed an ancient, dried riverbed located in India's present-day Thar Desert. Geologists have identified this riverbed as the route of the ancient Sarasvati River. The Sarasvati lay east of the Indus River and generally followed the same course, originating in the Himalaya mountains and emptying into the Arabian Sea. Geologists believe that the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E. Over time, the once fertile area around the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E. Over time, the once fertile area around the Sarasvati evolved into the dry, hot desert that exists today.
Early Indian agricultural settlements arose in the Indus-Sarasvati river region at least as far back as 6500 B.C.E. Like many other ancient peoples, the early Indians settled by rivers. They settled primarily on the banks of the Sarasvati River as well as along the banks of the Indus River. These rivers provided the ancient Indians with plenty of water, and the land near the rivers was fertile and excellent for growing crops. The rivers also provided the Indians with a convenient way to travel and trade among themselves and with other civilizations. Archeologists have found artifacts from the Indus-Sarasvati civilization - such as carved seals - in Mesopotamia's Sumer. These discoveries have led scholars to believe that the early Indians traded with Mesopotamia, possibly by traveling in ships down the Indus and Sarasvati rivers to the Arabian Sea and then west to Sumer and other locations.
After the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E., the Indus-Sarasvati Indians moved to more habitable areas, such as the fertile banks of the Ganga river further east. Archeological evidence shows, however, that people settled by the Ganga River as far back as 5000 B.C.E.
Questions:
1. In what ways is your map similar to the one that you see in the map above?
2. What physiographic features can you identify on this map that are not on your map?
3. Why do you think settlements developed along the Indus and Sarasvati rivers? Explain with clear and complete details.
4. Accurately draw and label the ancient Sarasvati River on your map.
5. Why did ancient Indian people eventually migrate to the Ganga River? Assignment 4-2 Website: Indus Valley
Use the website above to answer these questions. Write your answers in complete sentences with clear details on your wiki page.
1. What was discovered during the excavations of Mohenjo-Daro?
Bricks, houses, wells, and drains were found during the excavations of Mohenjo-Daro.
2. How is Mohenjo-Daro similar to our cities today?
Mohenjo-Daro is similar to our cities today because they had a drain system as well as bricks to build stable buildings.
3. What can we learn from archaeological discoveries (such as artifacts and city construction) in Mohenjo-Daro?
We can learn about their daily life from the things they used such as carved drawings or what they wore from the statues that can be found.
4. Give clear and specific information about how people lived in Mohenjo-Daro. In your answer, you have to talk about the artifacts that you discovered and put into the museum.
People in Mohenjo-Daro liked to dress themselves neatly. You can see that from the statue that shows a man with neat clothing and a trimmed beard. Kids also liked to amuse themselves with toys which we got from the toy cart.
5. What do we know about the Priest-King?
We don't know a lot of things fir sure about the Priest-King but people think that this person might have been a high person in the civilization because of all of the gold decorations and his neatly trimmed beard.
6. What was the Great Bath and how was it used?
The Great Bath might have been used as a public bath or for a religious purpose. Assignment 4-3 Source:
external image pdf.png
Archeologists Ideas Mohenjo-Daro.pdf
Think about the activity we did in class as archeologists in Mohenjo-Daro. Using the source above, your ideas, and the notes you took about archeologists ideas, answer the following questions clearly and completely on your wiki page. Each answer should be at least two sentences long with specific information.
1. What have you learned about daily life in Mohenjo-Daro from this activity?
From this activity, I learnt that Mohenjo-Daro was very civilized and had many things that we have these days. For example, the Monhenjo-Daro civilization had a sewer system that we didn't have until a thousand years later. You can tell that they had a good method of trading because they could measure and compare things for trade with the blocks carved out of wood.
2. Which characteristics of civilization do you see represented in the artifacts you looked at? Explain.
I saw technology from the drainage system,
3. In what ways do you think Mohenjo-Daro was like a modern city?
4. Why do you think it is difficult for us to know exactly what life was like in ancient civilizations like those in the Indus-Sarasvati region?
5. What do you think might have contributed to the decline of Mohenjo-Daro? Assignment 4-4 Answer the following questions clearly and with details on your wiki page.
1. What varna were you in during the caste system simulation?
During the caste system simulation, I was in the kshatriya group.
2. What was your favorite part about the caste system simulation? Why?
The favorite part of the caste system simulation was that I could experience how much power the groups had over each other. The Brahmins could order everybody around. The Kshatriyas could only order the Sundras. The other groups had no power.
3. What part of the simulation made you angry, upset, or frustrated? Why?
I did not have anything that made me angry, upset or frustrated because the kshatriyas had quite a lot of power (much more than I expected). I could order people around and the Brahmins would choose a lower group for labor. All we had to do was decide punishments and things like that.
4. Do you think this system is fair? Why or why not?
If I believed the Hindu religion, I would say yes, the caste system is fair. That is because if you are a low person, it is obvious that you had not followed your Dharma. If you are high, you earned it and you should be high because you worked hard in your last life. However, I am not a Hindu and I think that this caste system is not fair. You should be able to have a good Dharma by working hard and going up the caste system though the caste system that existed before in India sad that you had to stay in the same group that you were born to.
5. Do you think a society should organize people into social classes? Why or Why not?
I think that there should be subtle but also strict social class with the leader and the subjects. This is because with a leader, I think that you can work harder by the orders a leader gives you. Without a leader, there would be power struggles and eventually war amongst the society. Assignment 4-5
Website: India-Government
Use the website above and what you have learned in class so far to answer these questions about the early Indus River Governments.
1. Why would having a central government help in planning and organizing a city?
2. Who were Rajahs?
3. What is a Guru?
4. What subjects were taught in school?
5. Who was in charge of the government?
6. Why did people look up to the priests?
After completing yourUnderstanding How Ashoka's Edicts Helped Unify India sheet answer the following comprehension questions:
1. What are the main ideas expressed in Ashoka's edicts? The main ideas expressed in Ashoka's edicts are general welfare, Buddhist values, justice and security.
2. What are some of the ways in which Ashoka's leadership promoted unity in India? (Not sure) Him putting up these edicts promoted that he was the leader and he was doing good things towards the citizens.
3. In what ways did Ashoka's Buddhist beliefs contribute to the unification of India? Ashoka made the edicts so that people could see the ideas of Buddhism and follow it.
4. In addition to the edicts, what else might have contributed to the unification of India during this time period? (I don't know)
5. Explain how one of the edicts you examined could be catagorized another way
(i.e. instead of Buddhist Values it could also concern Justice) The edict that states that people that are going to be executed should have three days is buddhist values as well as justice because it is showing generosity and understanding towards the people.
Source: IndiaSubcontinentMapTrans.jpg
Directions: Look at the map above, read the text below, and answer the following questions on your wiki page:
In the 1990's, satellite pictures revealed an ancient, dried riverbed located in India's present-day Thar Desert. Geologists have identified this riverbed as the route of the ancient Sarasvati River. The Sarasvati lay east of the Indus River and generally followed the same course, originating in the Himalaya mountains and emptying into the Arabian Sea. Geologists believe that the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E. Over time, the once fertile area around the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E. Over time, the once fertile area around the Sarasvati evolved into the dry, hot desert that exists today.
Early Indian agricultural settlements arose in the Indus-Sarasvati river region at least as far back as 6500 B.C.E. Like many other ancient peoples, the early Indians settled by rivers. They settled primarily on the banks of the Sarasvati River as well as along the banks of the Indus River. These rivers provided the ancient Indians with plenty of water, and the land near the rivers was fertile and excellent for growing crops. The rivers also provided the Indians with a convenient way to travel and trade among themselves and with other civilizations. Archeologists have found artifacts from the Indus-Sarasvati civilization - such as carved seals - in Mesopotamia's Sumer. These discoveries have led scholars to believe that the early Indians traded with Mesopotamia, possibly by traveling in ships down the Indus and Sarasvati rivers to the Arabian Sea and then west to Sumer and other locations.
After the Sarasvati River dried up around 1900 B.C.E., the Indus-Sarasvati Indians moved to more habitable areas, such as the fertile banks of the Ganga river further east. Archeological evidence shows, however, that people settled by the Ganga River as far back as 5000 B.C.E.
Questions:
1. In what ways is your map similar to the one that you see in the map above?
2. What physiographic features can you identify on this map that are not on your map?
3. Why do you think settlements developed along the Indus and Sarasvati rivers? Explain with clear and complete details.
4. Accurately draw and label the ancient Sarasvati River on your map.
5. Why did ancient Indian people eventually migrate to the Ganga River?
Assignment 4-2
Website: Indus Valley
Use the website above to answer these questions. Write your answers in complete sentences with clear details on your wiki page.
1. What was discovered during the excavations of Mohenjo-Daro?
Bricks, houses, wells, and drains were found during the excavations of Mohenjo-Daro.
2. How is Mohenjo-Daro similar to our cities today?
Mohenjo-Daro is similar to our cities today because they had a drain system as well as bricks to build stable buildings.
3. What can we learn from archaeological discoveries (such as artifacts and city construction) in Mohenjo-Daro?
We can learn about their daily life from the things they used such as carved drawings or what they wore from the statues that can be found.
4. Give clear and specific information about how people lived in Mohenjo-Daro. In your answer, you have to talk about the artifacts that you discovered and put into the museum.
People in Mohenjo-Daro liked to dress themselves neatly. You can see that from the statue that shows a man with neat clothing and a trimmed beard. Kids also liked to amuse themselves with toys which we got from the toy cart.
5. What do we know about the Priest-King?
We don't know a lot of things fir sure about the Priest-King but people think that this person might have been a high person in the civilization because of all of the gold decorations and his neatly trimmed beard.
6. What was the Great Bath and how was it used?
The Great Bath might have been used as a public bath or for a religious purpose.
Assignment 4-3
Source:
Think about the activity we did in class as archeologists in Mohenjo-Daro. Using the source above, your ideas, and the notes you took about archeologists ideas, answer the following questions clearly and completely on your wiki page. Each answer should be at least two sentences long with specific information.
1. What have you learned about daily life in Mohenjo-Daro from this activity?
From this activity, I learnt that Mohenjo-Daro was very civilized and had many things that we have these days. For example, the Monhenjo-Daro civilization had a sewer system that we didn't have until a thousand years later. You can tell that they had a good method of trading because they could measure and compare things for trade with the blocks carved out of wood.
2. Which characteristics of civilization do you see represented in the artifacts you looked at? Explain.
I saw technology from the drainage system,
3. In what ways do you think Mohenjo-Daro was like a modern city?
4. Why do you think it is difficult for us to know exactly what life was like in ancient civilizations like those in the Indus-Sarasvati region?
5. What do you think might have contributed to the decline of Mohenjo-Daro?
Assignment 4-4
Answer the following questions clearly and with details on your wiki page.
1. What varna were you in during the caste system simulation?
During the caste system simulation, I was in the kshatriya group.
2. What was your favorite part about the caste system simulation? Why?
The favorite part of the caste system simulation was that I could experience how much power the groups had over each other. The Brahmins could order everybody around. The Kshatriyas could only order the Sundras. The other groups had no power.
3. What part of the simulation made you angry, upset, or frustrated? Why?
I did not have anything that made me angry, upset or frustrated because the kshatriyas had quite a lot of power (much more than I expected). I could order people around and the Brahmins would choose a lower group for labor. All we had to do was decide punishments and things like that.
4. Do you think this system is fair? Why or why not?
If I believed the Hindu religion, I would say yes, the caste system is fair. That is because if you are a low person, it is obvious that you had not followed your Dharma. If you are high, you earned it and you should be high because you worked hard in your last life. However, I am not a Hindu and I think that this caste system is not fair. You should be able to have a good Dharma by working hard and going up the caste system though the caste system that existed before in India sad that you had to stay in the same group that you were born to.
5. Do you think a society should organize people into social classes? Why or Why not?
I think that there should be subtle but also strict social class with the leader and the subjects. This is because with a leader, I think that you can work harder by the orders a leader gives you. Without a leader, there would be power struggles and eventually war amongst the society.
Assignment 4-5
Website: India-Government
Use the website above and what you have learned in class so far to answer these questions about the early Indus River Governments.
1. Why would having a central government help in planning and organizing a city?
2. Who were Rajahs?
3. What is a Guru?
4. What subjects were taught in school?
5. Who was in charge of the government?
6. Why did people look up to the priests?
Assignment 4-6
After completing your Understanding How Ashoka's Edicts Helped Unify India sheet answer the following comprehension questions:
1. What are the main ideas expressed in Ashoka's edicts? The main ideas expressed in Ashoka's edicts are general welfare, Buddhist values, justice and security.
2. What are some of the ways in which Ashoka's leadership promoted unity in India? (Not sure) Him putting up these edicts promoted that he was the leader and he was doing good things towards the citizens.
3. In what ways did Ashoka's Buddhist beliefs contribute to the unification of India? Ashoka made the edicts so that people could see the ideas of Buddhism and follow it.
4. In addition to the edicts, what else might have contributed to the unification of India during this time period? (I don't know)
5. Explain how one of the edicts you examined could be catagorized another way
(i.e. instead of Buddhist Values it could also concern Justice) The edict that states that people that are going to be executed should have three days is buddhist values as well as justice because it is showing generosity and understanding towards the people.